Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC) is a multiple award-winning law student program that provides legal services without charge to organizations and individuals in need in Canada. We are the only national law student program in Canada, the only national pro bono program in the country, and the only national pro bono service organization anywhere in the world. PBSC has chapters at all 21 law schools in Canada. Each year, PBSC provides 1400-1500 law students with volunteer opportunities to develop their legal skills by serving up to 400 organizations from coast to coast. PBSC volunteers increase access to justice in Canada by providing high quality, professional legal assistance to vulnerable populations and individuals. By exposing law students to the value of pro bono service, PBSC aims to encourage the next generation of lawyers to make pro bono service an everyday part of their practice.
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- Queen’s University
- “Our family court—the biggest and busiest family court in the country—would not be able to function half as well without the assistance of the PBSC students.”
- Justice Harvey Brownstone, North Toronto Family Court, Queen’s LL.B. 1980
- University of Ottawa (Civil Law)
- “La chance dont bénéficient nos étudiantes et étudiants en participant au Réseau national d’étudiants pro bono est unique en son genre. Elle leur permet de mettre en pratique leurs connaissances juridiques en apportant de l’aide d’autant plus considérable pour nos organismes. L’accès à la justice est entre bonnes mains avec le Réseau!”
- Philippe Devault, coordonnateur, uOttawa, section Droit civil
- McGill University
- “The practical experience that I obtained through my PBSC placement at a women’s shelter helped frame the law in a human context—something I was not getting from the classroom. Leases take on a whole new light when a woman is sitting in front of you with two children and no place to go after an unlawful eviction.”
- Tiffany Boisvert, student, McGill University
- University of Western Ontario
- “The PBSC and Ivey business students who worked with us through the PINSS (Pro Bono Ivey Non-Profit Support Services) project provided us with ample information and analysis to help us deal with the key decisions our Society must make over the next two years.”
- Earle Taylor, Vice President, Great Lakes Blues Society
- University of Alberta
- “I’ve had so many amazing opportunities to work with a wide variety of interesting people in my two years at PBSC Alberta. One year I was working with the John Howard Society, calling prisons and parole offices across the country, and the next year I was working with United Way. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to explore two unique corners of the law that I would have never been exposed to otherwise.”
- Jessica Proudfoot, student, University of Alberta
- University of New Brunswick
- “The best part of the Family Law Legal Information Project (FLLIP) at UNB is that our clients get to sit with someone for up to two hours who actually spends the time explaining legal concepts. Having access to somebody who can explain a certain legal term or concept means a lot.”
- Kathy Moulton, founder of FLLIP and University of New Brunswick PBSC Coordinator 2009-2010
